Shoelace fastener for shoes and shoe comprising said shoelace fastener device

ABSTRACT

A shoelace fastener device for shoes includes an upper having two sides and a tongue to be tightened using at least one shoelace. This device includes a guide device of the shoelace, extended and positioned, in use, substantially longitudinally in relation to the tongue. The guide device enables one or more portions of the shoelace to be contained and guided along the tongue so that these portions are arranged substantially aligned with the longitudinal direction of the tongue. The guide device includes at least one flexible strip appropriately shaped so as to form at least one cavity capable of accommodating and guiding one or more portions of the shoelace.

This invention relates to a shoelace fastener device for shoes and to a shoe comprising said device. In particular, it relates to a shoelace fastener device for shoes, capable of improving the performance of the shoe to which it is applied.

Generally speaking, a shoe comprises a sole and an upper, i.e. a shaped part, connected to the sole by stitching or gluing, so as to be able to accommodate the wearer's foot.

A shoe usually comprises sides, which extend from the sole to enwrap the instep, and a tongue, which from the front area of the shoe, corresponding to the tip of the user's foot, extends towards the ankle to cover the instep.

The tongue is usually made to be partially covered by the edges of the sides that face each other over the instep. Furthermore, in the edges of the sides holes are made through which a shoelace is passed.

The shoelace is passed through, usually starting from the front area of the shoe, a hole in an edge, then through a hole in the respective opposite side, continuing its alternating path between one edge and the other until reaching an area of the shoe closer to the wearer's ankle where the shoelace is tied, for example in a knot.

The longitudinal direction of the shoe is deemed to mean all of the directions that are coplanar with the plane that is perpendicular to the sole and that passes through the centreline of the shoe, crossing through it from the tip to the tail.

The shoelace, made of a flexible material, is therefore arranged in portions that have directions of development that can be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shoe, when the shoelace is covering the shortest distance between one edge and the other, or inclined at a certain angle in relation to the longitudinal direction of the shoe, when the shoelace reaches the other edge approaching or moving away from the wearer's ankle.

When a foot is inserted into the shoe, the tongue is usually enwrapped by the edges of the sides and pressed on the instep by the shoelace that has been threaded between the relative edges, so that the tongue is held in contact with the instep and the shoe is comfortable for the wearer. When the shoe is correctly worn, the longitudinal direction of the tongue is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the shoe.

With the above-described shoes, two issues arise that can result in irritations and problems for the wearer, even to the extent of damaging the foot, for example when wearing the shoe for a prolonged period of time.

The first problem that can arise is due to the concentration of pressure on the instep by the tongue, at the crossover points of the portions of shoelace, that can cause damage to the instep or muscle or tendon disorders. In fact, in these cases a point-contact distribution of the pressure on the instep occurs.

For example, FR616991 discloses a shoe that comprises metal rings along the edges of the sides and other metal rings secured along the centreline of the tongue, to accommodate the passage of the shoelace. When the shoe is worn and laced up, its sides are brought very close together and the shoelace follows a zigzag path. In this case too, there is a point-contact distribution of the pressure on the instep at the rings secured to the tongue.

The second problem of known shoes is due to the fact that the tongue, being secured to the front portion of the shoe is free to move and rotate thus moving from its ideal position, i.e. a longitudinal position, in which the tongue is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the shoe.

This second problem causes the tongue, when the wearer walks or runs or uses the shoe in any way, to move towards one of the sides, unbalancing the distribution of the loads or in any event compromising the optimum balance of the wearer.

The tongue can also continue in its rotation until it shifts mainly to one side, thus uncovering the instep near the respective opposite side. The instep is thus not protected by the tongue and furthermore can come into contact with the shoelace causing injury or other undesirable results.

Document FR616991 does not resolve this second problem if the sides are at a distance from each other, as is the case with most known shoes. In sports shoes in particular, when the distance between the sides can be as much as half the width of the sole, the construction described in FR616991 does not allow the tongue to remain aligned with the longitudinal direction of the shoe.

The main task of this invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the known art, providing a shoelace fastener device for shoes that solves one or more of the above-listed problems or yet others and a shoe that comprises one or more shoelace fastener devices according to the present invention.

Within the above-described task, one aim of the present invention is to devise a shoelace fastener device that reduces the point-contact concentration of the pressure exerted by the crossover of the portions of shoelace in a shoe.

Another aim is to improve the retention of the foot inside the shoe in a basically uniform manner without creating pressure points on the foot.

A further aim of the present invention consists in providing a shoelace fastener device that keeps the tongue aligned with the longitudinal direction of the shoe.

Yet another aim of the present invention is to provide a shoelace fastener device that is easy to make and simple to operate.

Not least the final aim is to produce a shoelace fastener device for shoes that improves the comfort of the foot of its wearer during use.

The above-mentioned task and aims, and others that will emerge more clearly from the following description, are achieved by a shoelace fastener device as defined in claim 1 and by a shoe comprising a shoelace fastener device according to the invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be made clearer by the following description of a particular, but not exclusive, embodiment given purely by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of a shoe comprising a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2 to 4 show respectively two top views and one front view of the shoelace fastener device in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A and 5 show a first and a second component respectively of the shoelace fastener device in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a front view and a top view respectively of a second embodiment of a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a top schematic view of a shoe comprising a shoelace fastener device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show a top view and two front views of a shoelace fastener device according to the embodiment in FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 shows a top view of a plurality of elements of a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 shows a fourth embodiment of a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention;

FIGS. 14 and 15 show a fifth embodiment of a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the shoelace fastener in FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 17 shows a seventh embodiment of a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention;

FIG. 18 shows a seventh embodiment of a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the shoelace fastener in FIGS. 17 and 18.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference in particular to FIG. 1, a shoe 10 is shown comprising a shoelace fastener device 50 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The shoe 10, developing in a longitudinal direction 11, comprises two sides 12 with their edges facing each other and a tongue 14 interposed between the two sides 12 that develop from the sole, not visible in the Figure.

The tongue 14 extends from the area of the tip of the shoe 10 towards the instep of the shoe's wearer (not shown in the Figure) in a direction aligned with the longitudinal direction of the shoe 10.

The longitudinal direction 11 of the shoe 10 means all of the directions coplanar with the plane that is perpendicular to the sole and that passes through the centreline of the shoe 10, crossing it from the tip to the heel area.

A shoelace 20 is inserted into openings made near the edges of the facing sides 12, so as to cross over the tongue 14 in order to exert a pressure on the tongue 14 pressing it against the instep.

In particular, the shoelace 20 has an orthogonal portion 22 near the tip of the shoe 10, which is arranged in a direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction 11 of the shoe 10.

The shoelace 20 also has inclined portions 24, of which only one is indicated in FIG. 1, i.e. arranged in a direction that is inclined in relation to the longitudinal direction 11 of the shoe 10.

The shoelace fastener device 50, also shown in detail in FIG. 2, comprises a main body 52 connected to a plaque 54.

The plaque 54 is in turn connected to the tongue 14 of the shoe 10, for example by gluing, sewing or other connecting means. The plaque 54 acts as a means of interface with the tongue.

Thanks to the particular construction of the shoelace fastener device 50 according to the present invention, the shoelace 20 can be guided so as to obtain one or more longitudinal portions 26, i.e. portions that are aligned with the longitudinal direction 11 of the shoe.

The shoelace 20, with its longitudinal portions 26, keeps the tongue 14 centred in a longitudinal direction, preventing a rotation similar to that which occurs with known shoes.

The shoelace 20 in fact keeps the tongue 14 aligned, thanks to the presence of the shoelace fastener device 50 according to the present invention, which is connected to the tongue 14 itself by means of the plaque 54 due to the effect of the balanced and opposing tensions applied to the tongue.

The plaque 54 also enables the pressure exerted by the shoelace on the tongue 14 and consequently on the instep of the wearer's foot to be distributed so that the pressure exerted on the foot is less than what it would have been without the use of the shoelace fastener device 50, thanks to the larger contact surface of the plaque 54, which is greater than the point-contact surface provided by the crossover of the shoelaces that exists in the known art.

The shoelace fastener device 50 and its particular construction will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

In the main body 52 there is a cavity 56 to accommodate within it the shoelace and to guide the latter to obtain two longitudinal portions 26. Of course, in the main body 52 there may be a pair of cavities (not shown in the Figure) to accommodate the shoelace 20. A single cavity optimises the moulding process, for example, required to create it or in general simplifies its production process, or facilitates the assembly of the shoelace and/or the shoelace fastener and/or the upper. The cavity 56 acts as a guide means.

As shown in FIG. 4, from one end of the main body 52 two wings 60 extend, one of which is shown in the Figure, that are surmounted by a raised part of the plaque 54 when the main body 52 and the plaque 54 are connected as shown in FIG. 4.

Advantageously, the raised part 62 is inserted in a seat 64 made in the main body 52, so that the connection can be achieved by interlocking, conferring structural solidity to the shoelace fastener device 50 according to the present invention.

Advantageously, the main body 52 can be made of a rigid material and the plaque 54 can be made of a soft material, for example to make it easier to sew the plaque onto the tongue or suchlike.

Advantageously, the main body 52 can be connected to the plaque 54 or directly to the tongue 14, for example by interlocking or sewing. FIGS. 4A and 5 show the two elements respectively, separated.

In a second embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a shoelace fastener 100 can comprise a main body 102 in which a cavity 106 is made. Of course, similar to that described previously, a pair of cavities (not shown in the Figure) can be made in the main body 102.

The main body 102 comprises a base 105 for direct connection to a tongue of a respective shoe. The base acts as a means of interface with the tongue.

This case too has the advantage of achieving a better load distribution in that the pressure exerted between the shoelace and tongue is distributed over the bottom 105 and therefore over an area greater than that of the known art.

Advantageously, this second embodiment can be applied to existing shoes by resting by juxtaposition on the tongue or in a fixed manner.

As shown in FIG. 8, a shoe 110, comprising a tongue 114, two sides 112 and a shoelace 120, is connected to a shoelace fastener device 150 made according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Similar to that previously described, the shoelace fastener device 150 is connected to the tongue 114 by means of a plaque 154, for example by gluing, sewing, interlocking or suchlike. The plaque 154 acts as a means of interface with the tongue.

The shoelace fastener device 150 also comprises a main body 152 in turn comprising, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, a first support 160 and a second support 162, the latter having a base 155 whereby the main body 152 may be connected directly to the tongue 114.

The first support 160 and the second support 162 are substantially rectangular, preferably with rounded angles.

A first pulley 164, a second pulley 166, a third pulley 168 and a fourth pulley 170, henceforth also called pulleys, are fitted near the top of the first support 160 and second support 162, so that the axes of rotation of the pulleys are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the tongue 114. The pulleys preferably have a C-shaped external profile.

Between the first support 160, the second support 162 and the pulleys a cavity 156 is therefore defined in order to accommodate the shoelace 120 and guide it, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, in free portions 127 and longitudinal portions 126, similar to that previously described. The cavity 156 acts as a guide means.

As shown in FIG. 12, 157 indicates a plurality of main bodies that differ from each other due to the ratio between their long side 151 and short side 153, each preferably connectable to a shoe that is provided with sides that define a path for the shoelace in order to guide it so as to obtain free portions that are preferably aligned in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shoe to which they are connected. In this way too it is possible to achieve the above-described advantages.

The interface means can be connected to the tongue of the respective shoe by sewing and/or gluing and/or interlocking or by juxtaposition.

The guide means can be connected to the interface means by sewing and/or gluing and/or interlocking.

FIGS. 13 to 19 show additional embodiments of a shoelace fastener device according to the present invention.

The embodiment of a shoelace fastener device 250 shown in FIG. 13 comprises a main body 252, through which two sections of the shoelace 220 pass, connected to a plaque 254.

The plaque 254, acting as a means of interface with the tongue of a shoe according to that previously described, is in turn connectable to said tongue for example by gluing, sewing or other means of connection.

The main body 252 is formed by a flexible strip appropriately shaped in order to create a pair of cavities 256A, 256B capable of accommodating the shoelace 220 and guiding it so as to obtain two portions arranged longitudinally 226A, 226B.

In order to shape the flexible strip so as to create the two cavities 256A, 256B through which the shoelace 220 passes, the plaque 254 is advantageously made of a semi-rigid material, such as for example a thermoplastics material, and is configured with a pair of lateral raised parts 262 arranged symmetrically in relation to the centreline of the plaque and adjacent to first through-openings 263. Near the central portion, the plaque 254 is provided with second through-openings 265 separated by a diverter element 266 arranged at the centreline of the plaque 254.

In order to create the shape illustrated in FIG. 16, the flexible strip (252) is inserted into one of the first openings 263 and one of the end portions is housed and fixed, for example by sewing, gluing or equivalent processes, onto the lowered seat defined by the surface of one of the raised parts 262 facing, during use, the shoe. The remaining intermediate portion of the strip is bent into an eyelet to form the first cavity 256A and inserted into one of the second openings 265 wrapping round the diverter element 266 to come out of the other of the second openings 265. The outgoing intermediate portion is bent into an eyelet to form the second cavity 256B; the terminal portion of the strip is then passed through the other of the first openings 263 and fixed in the lowered seat formed by the other raised part 262.

Advantageously, according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the strip 252 can be connected directly to the tongue 214 of the shoe, for example by sewing, without interposing the plaque 254. In this case, the tongue must be provided with the first and second through-openings 273, 275.

FIGS. 17 to 19 show additional embodiments of the device, simpler than the previous ones, in which the main body 352 is again formed by a flexible strip appropriately shaped so as to create a single cavity 356 to accommodate and guide the shoelace 320 in order to obtain two portions arranged longitudinally 326A, 326B.

The strip 352 can be connected to the plaque 354, provided with a pair of raised parts 362 to house and fix the terminal portions of the strip 352 and with at least one opening 363 to enable the strip to be folded into an eyelet to form the cavity 356, as shown in FIG. 17, or be directly secured to the tongue 314 of the shoe, which must be provided with at least one central through-opening 373 to enable the strip to be bent into an eyelet.

Of course, the present invention is subject to numerous applications, modifications or variations without departing from the scope of protection as defined by independent claim 1.

Furthermore, the materials and tools used to create the present invention, as well as the forms and dimensions of the individual components, can be those best suited to satisfying specific requirements. 

1. Shoelace fastener device for shoes comprising an upper having two sides and a tongue to be tightened using at least one shoelace, said shoelace fastener device comprising guide means of said at least one shoelace, wherein said guide means are extended and positioned, in use, substantially longitudinally in relation to said tongue, said guide means enabling one or more portions of said at least one shoelace to be contained and guided along said tongue so that said one or more portions are arranged substantially aligned with the longitudinal direction of the tongue.
 2. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 1, wherein said guide means comprise a main body in which is made at least one cavity to receive one or more portions of said at least one shoelace.
 3. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 1, wherein said guide means comprise a main body in which are made at least two cavities to receive one or more portions of said at least one shoelace.
 4. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 1, wherein said guide means comprise a first support, a second support and a plurality of pulleys fitted between said first support and said second support, so that said plurality of pulleys guide said one or more portions of said at least one shoelace.
 5. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 4, wherein at least one from the first support and the second support has a substantially rectangular shape and/or rounded corners.
 6. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 1, also comprising means of interface with said tongue, said guide means being connected to said interface means.
 7. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 6, wherein said interface means comprise at least one plaque.
 8. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 6, wherein said interface means are connected to the tongue by sewing and/or gluing and/or interlocking or by juxtaposition.
 9. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 6, wherein said guide means are connected to said interface means by sewing and/or gluing and/or interlocking.
 10. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 6, wherein said guide means comprise at least one wing and said interface means comprise a raised part and wherein said at least one wing is surmounted by said raised part when said guide means are connected to said interface means.
 11. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 1, wherein said guide means comprise at least one flexible strip appropriately shaped so as to form at least one cavity capable of accommodating and guiding said one or more portions of said at least one shoelace.
 12. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 7, wherein said at least one flexible strip is connectable to said at least one plaque connectable to said tongue.
 13. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 12, wherein said at least one plaque is configured with a pair of lateral raised parts arranged symmetrically in relation to the centreline of said plaque and adjacent to at least one through-opening, said raised parts forming respective lowered seats capable of housing respective terminal portions of said strip said terminal portions being connected to said lowered seats.
 14. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 13, wherein at least one intermediate portion of said strip passing through said at least one opening is shaped into an eyelet to form said at least one cavity.
 15. Shoelace fastener device according to claim 11, wherein said at least one flexible strip is appropriately shaped so as to form a first cavity and a second cavity capable of accommodating and guiding respective and separate portions of said at least one shoelace.
 16. Device according to claim 12, wherein said at least one plaque configured with a pair of lateral raised parts arranged symmetrically in relation to the centreline of said plaque and adjacent to first through-openings, said raised parts forming respective lowered seats capable of housing respective terminal portions of said strip, said terminal portions being connected to said lowered seats, second through-openings being provided in said plaque separated by a diverter element arranged on the centreline of said plaque.
 17. Device according to claim 16, wherein a first intermediate portion of said strip passing through one of said first openings and one of said second openings is shaped into an eyelet to form said first cavity, a central portion of said strip enwrapping said diverter element passing through the other of said first openings and the other of said second openings in order to be shaped into an eyelet to form said second cavity.
 18. Shoe comprising at least one shoelace fastener device according to claim
 1. 19. Shoe according to claim 18 comprising a tongue provided with at least one central through-opening, the terminal portions of said strip being secured to said tongue and at least one intermediate portion of said strip passing through said at least one opening being appropriately shaped so as to form at least one cavity capable of accommodating and guiding one or more portions of said at least one shoelace. 